DIY and frugal flop

Making your own and doing it yourself are mainstays of any frugal lifestyle.  Money Saving Mom frequently posts DIY projects she has attempted and their results.  I already make several cleaners and do a lot of cooking from scratch.  Still, there's always room for growth and improvement, for trying new things. 

So...being the list-making nerd that I am, I have a list of things I want to try to do/make myself.  Sourdough bread was on that list, and I have to say I'm very proud of my efforts in this department.  We gone through multiple batches of bread in the last few months.  Within the next couple of weeks, I want to try making yogurt (I've put this off waaaaay too long).  And on and on goes the list.

Today I decided to try something that wasn't on the list.  Maybe the spontaneity of it was my first mistake; I don't know.  Maybe it was just a stupid project to start with; I'll let you decide.

You know those disinfectant wipes they sell in stores?  Sort of wet wipes for cleaning.  They're overpriced, they're wasteful, they create too much garbage...but they're awfully darn convenient.  Sometimes when you just want to do a quick wipe down of the bathroom sink or the toilet, they come in handy.  I rarely buy them (because let's face it, a cloth and spray bottle work just as well, without all the drawbacks). 

But I do like them.  I had an empty container lying around from the last time I had bought them and I thought, "Why not make my own..." 

Paper towels are another things I rarely purchase.  I read somewhere that the average family goes through two rolls of paper towels a week.  Even back in my heavy paper towel usage days, I never went through more than a roll in a month.  But several months ago, I just quit buying paper towels altogether and started just using cloths.  Other than when microwaving bacon, I found that I didn't miss them. 

I can't remember what prompted me to buy a roll of paper towels a few weeks ago.  I'm so out of the habit of using them though, that almost the full roll is still on the holder.  Still, they're nice paper towels--the thick Viva ones.  They would make good cleaning wipes, right? 

Um...maybe not. 

Everything went wrong with this little experiment.  The towels are so wonderfully think that they won't go through the opening of the wipes container.  I didn't make the solution right.  It's too soapy, so when I try to wipe down the counter or whatever, I end up having to follow up with a cloth anyway to clear off the soapy mess.  That sort of defeat the purpose.  And the towels themselves are kind of falling into tatters.  Gross--and not helpful at all. 

I know there is a way to make your own cleaning wipes--I've seen blog posts reference it.  But at this point, I'm so frustrated with the whole thing that I doubt I'll bother.  A cloth and a spray bottle are looking pretty good at the moment.  :-p 

ramblings

First of all, I wish a very happy birthday to my dear husband!  We are trying to make him feel special and loved.  Sarah spent a good chunk of time yesterday creating homemade decorations and plastering them all over the living room.  She also made a homemade card for him--complete with the name of the "corporation" on the back.  :)  Natalie has been saying "Happy birthday" over and over again.

Me, I express affection through baking.  So we started the day with homemade waffles.  Tonight's supper will be steak, salad, and homemade bread, followed by cherry pie and ice cream.  There is some sort of shindig taking place downtown this evening (some friends of ours are the musical entertainment) which we may attend as well.  Hopefully that all adds up to a good birthday!

I would be remiss if I did not also wish a happy birthday to my father-in-law.  Yes, Nelson and his dad share a birthday.  What are the odds, huh?  Anyway, I hope he too has a terrific day!

On a completely unrelated topic, I recently restructured our school day a bit to add a few extra things.  During our Bible time, in addition to the Bible story and the questions and stories from Big Truths for Little Kids, we also sing a hymn and work on a memory verse.  Sarah talked today about how much she was enjoying the hymns and how they "helped her learn about God."  But what really warmed my heart was watching her patiently trying to teach Natalie the memory verses...and watching her praise Natalie to the skies when she got it right.  It was definitely one of the most precious things I've seen take place between the two.

hope springs eternal

Wow, it's been awhile since I posted here.  Sorry about that.  However, this entry will answer a bit of the "why," so hopefully all will be forgiven by the time you're done reading.  :) 

Hope is a funny thing.  I don't think we always realize how much we need it until we don't have it.  Alternately, we may realize how utterly vital it is when we have it again after a long time without it.  I don't mean hope as in wishing ("Gee, I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow"); I mean hope as in firm expectation of something good.  A young girl who fills a hope chest expects to need it one day when she marries.  As Christians, our hope is in Christ, and God help us all if that is just wishful thinking. 

It's been a long road for me personally, feeling both helpless and hopeless, but I am pleased (ecstatic, jubilant, elated, etc.) to say that I now am hoping again.  It feels good.  I find myself humming and giggling at odd moments, just because it is such a relief to once again be hopeful.

So now for the back story.  I haven't actually revealed too much of it to anybody.  My husband, my mother, and my sister-in-law were really the only ones privy to the whole scoop.  The short version is that health issues were encroaching upon my life.  Between frequent migraines, digestive issues, and some severe problems with my menstrual cycle  (I definitely won't share details here), I felt lousy much of the time.  There were days when I felt "not bad", but I never actually reached the point of feeling good.  I missed a lot of activities.  I got behind on housework.  We got the basics of school done, but not the fun "extras" I wanted to do.  For reasons I won't go into, seeing a doctor wasn't an option.  As time went on, I not only continued to feel bad physically, but I was also emotionally frustrated, overwhelmed, and depressed. 

Life was rough.  For a long time.  I know other people have far more serious issues, but I definitely was unable to cope with what I had going on.

However, after a fair amount of research and talking with people I trust, I came up with a plan.  I will go ahead and give an official disclaimer now: I am not a doctor.  I am not a nurse.  I am not a medical expert of any description.  Do not take the following as any sort of advice or recommendation; it isn't.  It is simply my story. 

Okay, moving along now.  I began taking a battery of supplements recommended for the specific issues I was facing.  Obviously, when using supplements rather than conventional medicines, results are not instantaneous.  However, I kept up the regimen, and one day last week it happened.  God answered the many long months of prayers.  I woke up one morning and realized, I feel good!  Not just "not bad,"  not just "okay," but good!

Holy cow.  I cannot even put into words how wonderful it was after so long, just to feel good.   Overwhelming relief and excitement doesn't even come close to conveying it.  It's truly amazing. 

I am getting caught up on things that I've fallen behind on.  I am tackling that list of goals I made back at the beginning of the year, then ignored because I felt crappy.  I am smiling and humming under my breath. 

Never take hope for granted.  I can testify that it is a powerful thing.  I am loving having hope again. 

Natalie has two mommies...

As we drove to church this morning, the following conversation took place between Sarah and Natalie:

Natalie: Sarah!  Give me my coat.  NOW.

Sarah:  You're demanding.  What should you say?

Natalie:  Please.

Sarah:  Please what?

Natalie:  Please may I?

Sarah.  Please may you what?

Natalie:  Coat! 

Sarah:  No, say the whole thing.

Natalie (She didn't actually roll her eyes, but I think she must have been doing so internally.  Her voice was starting to sound like she was):  Please may I have my coat? 

Sarah:  That's better.  Yes, you may. 

She does such a good job of mommying, doesn't she? 

my kids are weird...

...really, really weird. 

What?  You want examples?  Fine.

A couple of days ago, we finished the last of the pickles we had.  Sarah and Natalie immediately wanted two straws.  Yes, they wanted to drink the pickle juice.  This isn't the first time they've drained the pickle jar after all the pickles were gone.  It is the first time they used straws.  It was like an old-fashioned soda shoppe, only they were sharing pickle juice instead of ice cream soda.  I'd rather have the soda, personally.

Natalie prefers things cold.  She will drain a cup of cold coffee in approximately 2.2 seconds.  She loves the baked oatmeal recipe I make, and she usually eats about half the batch.  She likes it cold though (can I just say right now that cold oatmeal just freaks me out a bit?  Even more than pickle juice!).

Natalie also named one of her wounds the other day.  I wish I'd thought to take a picture so I could properly introduce you to "Mark the Scratch."  That one actually makes sense.  A scratch is a mark on the body.  Perfectly logical. 

I still think gulping pickle juice and eating cold oatmeal is weird though.

Nelson says I can't blame his genes.

My grandfather liked cold eggs. 

word order

Language is funny.  In Latin, the order of words in a sentence does not matter one whit.  Puella poetam amat means the same thing as poetam puella amat.  Scramble the words around any old way; it won't change the meaning.  It's the ending on the words themselves that dictates meaning, not word order. 

This is not so with English.  The girl loves the poet does not mean the same thing as the poet loves the girl.  Order matters.

Most children seem to get word order "wrong" at some point.  Both girls went through phases where they would say, "Carry you?" when in fact they wanted me to carry them.  This morning, Natalie woke up before Sarah.  Natalie started munching some granola for breakfast.  Knowing that Sarah would be up soon and would also want some granola as well, Natalie proclaimed her desire to share with her sister.  "I want to feed my Sarah to the granola!" 

get it?

Sarah loves jokes right now.  She loves watching The Muppet Show for the music and the guest stars, but she also loves the jokes (bad as some of them are).  She loves a game on her Leapster that tells jokes.  She tells all the jokes she knows, over and over again.

She keeps trying her hand at making up her own jokes.  Unfortunately, she hasn't quite figured exactly how jokes work, so her own usually fall somewhat flat.  They are either not funny, make no sense, or both.  An example would be this morning's attempt: "How do cats like their eggs?  Meowed!" 

However, she did have one successful effort.  Yesterday she came up with this one: "What do you call a chicken with no feathers?  Dinner!"